waterfall on Middle Prong

The photos in this section are from areas in the Pisgah National Forest that are not accessible by trail. This brings up an interesting debate - should people go wandering around in the forest off trail? If you ask a forest ranger, he/she would probably say 'no!' - and for good reasons. Rescue or body recovery becomes very risky for the people that have to come in if something happens to you. It's very easy to slip and break a bone or crack your head on a rock. It happens to folks who stay on the trails and your chances are greater if you are off trail. Also, if you are off trail, you are trampling vegetation at some point. There's no getting around it. There are rare and endangered plants in the Pisgah, especially near the waterfalls. There are other arguments too.

I'm pretty sure they can't tell you it's illegal unless an area is closed to everyone. Fishermen and hunters do it - which reminds me. If you are hiking in any gamelands during hunting season, wear orange! Leave the deer antler hats at home. I hike off trail and so do some of my waterfall buds. If you decide to do some exploring, be prepared! Google '10 essentials hiking' and you'll come up with different 10 essentials you should always carry while hiking anywhere, but note the similarities and always carry them. Your winter list will have extras. Learn how to read a trail/topo map and use a compass or GPS and actually bring them with you. Tell someone where you are going and stick to that plan. Remember that guy that had to cut his own arm off when a big rock wedged it?? He broke this rule and nearly died. People missed him but didn't know where to look.

We're looking for waterfalls when we go off trail and what we usually do is to pick a creek on a map that looks like it has potential and walk the creek to see what we can find. A lot of times we have to bushwhack through the forest to get to the creek and that isn't always pleasant. The 1st person will eat spider webs most of the day in warmer weather. We've also run into rattlesnakes, copperheads, briars, stinging nettle, yellow jacket and wasp nests and other nasty things. But, you may encounter some of these things on trail also. You will probably have to crawl on your knees, get dirty and wet, and come out with scratches, bruises, or cuts. On some trips we find faint fisherman's trails or old overgrown logging roads to follow that aren't on the map. We don't always find waterfalls, but we generally see some nice cascades, swimming holes, and unspoiled scenery. Creek walking can be tricky but a lot of times it's easier than 'schwacking along the creek. Usually it's a combo of both for us. A lot of it involves wading in ankle to knee deep water and maneuvering around or over rocks and logs. If all of this sounds exciting, wear shoes that have good support. I wear either an old pair of hiking boots or a pair of Columbia tennis shoe type water shoes that drain well. I tried the slip on bootie type, but the stones in the creeks were murder on the bottom of my feet. Wet rocks are obviously slippery, so beware! A hiking stick will come in handy for balance and for fighting off Big Foot. There are probably a ton of other things that I should mention, but I think you get the picture. Be prepared or stay on established trails!

What I've decided to do is post some pictures of the waterfalls I've been to with the stream name if there is one. You'll have to do some map reading and thinking to find them. Some of the waterfalls are listed in Kevin Adams book and have better directions, but I think exploring is half of the fun. I haven't been able to find official names for any of these waterfalls. They all deserve names, so my friends and I are naming some of them. These names aren't official obviously, and if I ever find official or better local names, I'll change them.

This 1st one reminded us of Moore Cove Falls so we named it Little Moore Cove Falls. It's about a 25' free fall and is on a tributary of Moore Creek. If Moore Cove Falls wasn't there, you would be able to hear this one from where the trail to Moore Cove Falls ends at the falls. This falls is probably the easist of all of them. If you can't find this one or find it too difficult, you should stay on the established trails.

This next one is the first one I ever found while bushwhacking up a creek to see what was up there, so I'm calling it Discovery Falls. It's on the northern tributary of Log Hollow Branch. I'm guessing the main section is about 50' with another 50' of cascades below it. I first saw it after a good rain and went back several days later to find the flow had slowed considerably. The 2nd photo is more normal water flow.

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